Richardson to miss Sunderland trip
Kieran Richardson has been ruled out for 10 days with a thigh injury he aggravated on England duty this week.
Alex Ferguson has revealed the player first suffered the strain before he left for the international matches but was so enthusiastic to be involved in the World Cup double-header he opted to not to notify Old Trafford medical staff.
It means Richardson will miss tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership trip to Sunderland and the following week’s encounters with Lille, in the Champions League, and Tottenham, although he could be available for the Carling Cup tie with Barnet a week on Wednesday.
With long-term absentees Wes Brown, Gary Neville, Gabriel Heinze, Quinton Fortune and Roy Keane missing it means 20-year-old rookie defender Phil Bardsley will make his first Premiership start, with Spanish teenager Gerard Pique on the bench.
Squad: Van der Sar, Howard, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Pique, O’Shea, Fletcher, Smith, Scholes, Miller, Ronaldo, Park, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Rooney, Rossi.
